title: Social support and self-care in heart failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Self-care by heart failure (HF) patients is essential for optimal disease management of their condition. However, as the nature of HF is unrelenting and burdensome, self-care is usually achieved with the support of partners. It is not clear what role the level of social support by partners plays in HF self-care; therefore, this study sets out to determine the types of social support provided to HF patients and the impact of differing levels of social support on HF patients' self-care.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is secondary analysis of a subgroup of patients experiencing their second hospital admission for HF at baseline in the COACH study, a multisite trial conducted in the Netherlands. Measures included the European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour Scale and a multiple component assessment of social support, which categorized patients into low, moderate, and high levels of social support according to the presence of a partner and their perception of support they received from their partner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients (n = 333) had an average age of 72 (SD, 11) years, and 92% belonged to New York Heart Association class III or greater. Of the patients with partners (56%), only 49% had a high level of support from their partner. No demographic or clinical characteristic was associated with self-care behavior. Patients with a high level of support reported significantly better self-care (P = .002) than patients with low or moderate levels of social support. Patients with a high level of social support reported being significantly more likely to consult with a health professional for weight gain (P = .011), to limit the amount of fluids they have (P = .02), take their medication (P = .017), to get a flu shot (P = .001), and to exercise on a regular basis (P < .001) than those with medium or low levels of social support. The presence of social support by a partner is not sufficient to influence HF patients' self-care. Social support provided by partners needs to be of a quality and content that matches HF patients' perception of need to influence self-care. Caregivers, especially partners, should be considered as integral in the treatment and care of HF patients.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia. Robyn.Gallagher@uts.edu.au
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.forename: Marie-Louise
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Luttik
authors.forename: Tiny
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jaarsma
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010359:Patient Readmission; D012648:Self Care; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines